Dear Friend WillWe, Sam Boots,
Ira Patterson and myself, arrived at Volga Tuesday
morning, had dinner with Capt. Shadle and made a few
arrangements. Chas. H. Jacobs and Will Boal, of West
Union, joined our party here, Carpenter failed to
show up. Upon the point of leaving Volga the Capt.
made a long speech in his jolly, good natured way.
There was no school that afternooneverybody was
at the depot and the children sang a beautiful song
as the train was leaving. With M. C. Smith, of Volga,
there were then seven in our party. We picked up Fred
Milliard at Turkey River and Jack Dyer at Sabula
Junction. Up to now we dont know whether
Carpenter is going or not. I told Otto Gunn at
Dubuque to telephone Becker regarding Carpenter and
to tell him I would leave word for him at the First
National Bank, of San Francisco, if he followed us.

Trains have been a few hours late but we expect to
reach Frisco by Friday night. Our fare, including
tourist sleeper (2d class), cost us $49.80 from
Volga. That is over the Union Pacificbest that
could have been done on any road. We are stocked with
enough grub to last us till we reach the coast.

We expect to have on the Victoria from Frisco Feb.
9th. Whether we can get in shape by that time I can
not tell now. While we laid over at Dubuque a few
hours I called on the Armour Packing Co., and
procured a letter of recommendation which I present
to the Frisco branch and which will enable us
to purchase our meat supplies right.

Some of the boys are discussing the cities they will
buy when they get back. A West Union man in speaking
to one of our party said: Well, Fred, I hope
when you get back youll buy our town and put a
load of dynamite under it and blow it to
pieces. He evidently doesnt like W. U.
(West Union) Sorry Carpenter isnt with us,
would like to have him along, I am going right
through though, unless I hear from him.

When we get to Frisco and on the boat I will give you
an itemized list of the stuff we have bought. I am
sorry my hasty departure did not give me time to say
good bye to all my friends. I will tell them so in
this, which must be sufficient. With best regards to
you all, I remain sincerely yours.
Louis J. Kramer
P.S.We do not go to Klondyke. We are making for
Cooks Inlet and Copper River.

~*~*~

Elkader Register Feb. 4, 1898

Henry Shadle and Morris Snedigar of
this place, accompanied by Louis J. Kramer, Ira
Patterson, and Sam Boots, of Elkader, and Jack Dwyer
and Fred Meyers of Turkey River, also a gentleman
from West Union, started on Tues. for the gold fields
of Alaska to find their fortune. We wish them success
(Volga).

Capt. Henry Shadle with his company of gold seekers
started for Alaska Tuesday from Volga City. They go
to San Francisco, where they buy their outfits and
then expect to go to Orca at the mouth of the Copper
River, Alaska. The party is made up of the following:
Captain Henry Shadle and C. M. Smith, of Volga City;
Smith being staked by R. E. Price, of this place; Sam
Boots, Louis J. Kramer and Ira S. Patterson, of
Elkader; Sam Boots being staked by Jas. E. Corlett
and Ira S. Patterson by Dr. H. S. Patterson; M. W.
Williard and Jack Dyer, of Turkey River; and Will
Boal and Henry Jacobs, of West Union. A. J.
Carpenter, who had made his arrangements to go,
concluded to abandon the trip at he earnest request
of his mother, at Fayette. We understand that Dar
Whipple, of Volga City, will take Carpenters
place, and join the party at San Francisco. We hope
the boys will return well and hearty with a fortune
in their pockets.

San Francisco, Feb. 8th, 1898
Friend WillWe arrived at San Francisco, Friday,
Feb. 4th at 8:45 a.m. We spent the evening taking in
the town. Saturday morning we phoned the
steamship companies regarding transportation to
Cooks Inlet or Copper river and were very
fortunate in securing passage on the Pacific Whaling
Cos. Alliance which is to sail the
10th. There were but thirteen steerage tickets for
sale all others sold, so we immediately signed nine
at $75 each.

Yesterday morning at he office of the Alliance people
when we paid for our tickets there were many who
tried to secure passage but could not as the tickets
were all gone. They offered us $150 for ours and as
we refused to sell two of them burst into tears. You
can imagine their circumstances as no other boat will
sail to Copper river for at least a month.

I enclose you an itemized list of the articles and
provisions purchased for the entire party, which does
not include the personal purchases such as guns,
knives, clothing, etc., which amount to from $40 to
$60 as per each mans desires.

I believe it would be considerably cheaper for any
one going to Alaska from the each to make their
purchases at home and have them shipped here. Here
are a few of our personal needs: Best Mackinaw suit,
$10.25; hood cap $2, Mitts and gloves $1.75, two
shirts, $4, sweater $3.50, 2 suits underwear $6, 2
pair German sox $1.50, moccasins $2.50, boots $5, 1/2
doz. pair sox $3, snow glasses, rubber boots, rifle,
compass, etc.

The other evening, in company with an
official guide, we visited China town. It was
intensely interesting indeed. We visited their Joss
house, drug stores where scraped elks horn,
boiled rattlesnake, etc., are used for medicinal
purposes; meat markets where mice, skunk veals, dog
meat and other such delicacies are sold. We visited
the dark and dangerous places where the highbinders
reigned supreme and in fact saw the homes of all
kinds of Chinese. In fact it was almost as
interesting as a trip abroad to China.

There are a great many here who are going to
Klondike. We meet newcomers every day. If there are
any of you going to Alaska, I would advise you to
correspond with some steamship company regarding
tickets and time boat leaves, otherwise you may be
compelled to wait some time for accommodations.

With regards to inquiring friends, I am Yours very
truly, Louis J. Kramer.

~*~*~

Feb. 25, 1898 Elkader Register

On Board Alliance, Feb.
13, 1898.
Our boat arrived late and needed considerable time to
unload her freight which was mostly canned salmon
from the Cos. cannery at Orca. We got word to
have all baggage and freight aboard by 10
oclock on Thursday as she was to sail at noon.
We had all our goods on the dock on time but they
didnt get her loaded until 3:30 p.m. and we
finally bade Frisco good-bye at 4:45. We hadnt
got out of the bay before Patterson became seasick
and before the next afternoon the greater number of
us were casting our bread on the waters.

The boys are not at all delighted with the
accommodations aboard the Alliance. Steerage bunks
and grub in a whaling boat arent the most
pleasant things to a lot of boys like us. We see sick
men all around us and laugh at each other when we are
compelled to part with our meals. Several times of
late we have had two breakfast and two dinners, one
immediately following the other.

The bunks are three high and two wide with two ft.
aisles between them. It seems pretty crowded now and
I havent any idea how it will be after leaving
Seattle where we take on 150 passengers and some
burros and dogs.

The grub is most all boiled meats and
cabbage and doesnt seem to agree with us
non-working men. We expect to get used to it though,
thats all we can do about it.

About 3:00 a.m. we run onto some rocks off Cape
Flarety and some of the boys were pretty badly
scared, rushing on deck with live preservers but
there was no need of them, no damage done. We are now
in smooth water (7:30 p.m.) and it is pleasant
riding. We expect to reach Seattle 12 oclock
tonight.

We hear all kinds of stories regarding Cooks
Inlet and Copper river and we have been very
undecided as to where we shall land since we met the
other passengers. Our freight, amounting to about
9,000, is billed to Vales Pass, but from the
very latest chats of tonight I think we will land at
Portage Bay.

You can send my mail in care of National Bank of
Commerce, Seattle, Wash., and Ill have them
forward it to my next address. Your friend, Louis J.
Kramer.

~*~*~

Experiences of our Gold Seekers on Their Way to Alaska
Mar. 4, 1898 Elkader Register

Aboard Steam Alliance, Feb. 17, 1898.
Dear friend Will:
We are now resting quietly at anchor in Alert Bay
B.C. (British Columbia). We lay here until the tide
rises so we can pass through the straits ahead.

A picturesque little Indian village is situated to
the right of us. It consists of a mission or school,
church, cemetery, cannery and about 30 houses or
shacks. We notice peculiar images on high towers, no
doubt something relative to their religion.

Our trip from Seattle has been very pleasant and
smooth with the exception of a few hours which were
the roughest yet experienced. This was no doubt for
the benefit of the 140 new passengers taken aboard at
Seattle and I assure you they showed their
appreciation of it by lining up on deck in rows of
eight or more, leaning over the rail. Oh, but they
were a sick lot of fellows. It did not affect us any
as we are now somewhat accustomed to the motion of
the ship. Smith and Millard were the only ones of our
party who didnt get sick.

The food and accommodations aboard the Alliance are
very poor but now we have ravenous appetites and can
eat most anything. At Seattle we stopped two days to
load the freight of the passengers also 21 dogs. At
the post office people were lined up in rows waiting
their turn to get mail. I got in line and had to wait
33 minutes. One can buy very good meals there for 25
centsseveral places dinners are served with
wine for 15 cents. I believe we could have done just
as well if not better in Seattle as regards our
purchases but dont know about what chance a man
has of getting steamship tickets. We bout more stuff
at Seattlefinding new things that we had
forgotten at Frisco. We will be like a small army.

When we arrive, nearly every man has a rifle,
revolver and bowie knife. We hear all kinds of
stories about Copper river, some very discouraging
but its hard to tell what to believe. Dad
Shadie was a little discouraged out of Frisco, due no
doubt to the sea trip, but is now all right.

LaterI just returned from the Indian village.
Twelve of us went over in a boat. We entered a large
rough building with a blazing bonfire in its center
and nearly two hundred Indians seated around it. They
danced and some furnished music with their peculiar
instruments. Afterwards blankets were distributed
among them by a big buck in paint. The fete and dance
are called a Pot-Latch. The ship left the bay at 3
a.m. Regards to folks and friends. Louis J. Kramer.

Monday, Feb. 21, 1898
The last few days have been of considerable interest
to us. Saturday after passing through decidedly rough
water in Charlotte Sound, we continued our trip among
the islands with waters almost as smooth as a river
and very picturesque scenery. At 10 a.m., we passed
the wreck of the ill fated Corrona; at 12:05 we
anchored in Metlakatla Bay, awaiting favorable
weather to allow us to pass through Dixons
Entrance at 5:40 p.m. fourteen of us went ashore in a
boat to visit Metlakatlathree miles away. We
arrived there just in time to go to evening prayer.
The Rev. Mr. Hogan gave us a heavy welcome and
favored as with an excellent sermon full of wisdom
after which he took us to his home and chatted with
us in an interesting manner.

Sunday we left the bay at 8:00 a.m. and passed safely
through Dixons Entrance which was very rough.
At 3:15 p.m., we anchored off St. Marys Island,
where the ships official went ashore to procure
clearance papers for the steamer. They returned with
the news that the Clara Nevada is lost
with all aboard. We continued our journey at 4:15. It
became very stormy. The wind blew a gate and the snow
fell so thick that one could not see a hundred yards
ahead. The pilot was guiding the steamer into a
channel where we expected to wait until the storm
somewhat abated and also spend the night at anchor.
It soon became dark and with the terrible storm we
were in considerable danger of running ashore on the
many rocks and islands about us. The engines slowed
down to half speed. At 6:00 p.m. the First Mate
yelled land ahead., but before the
engines could be stopped and reversed we were run on
the rocks. The wind blew terribly and the snow seemed
to increase. There was great excitement aboard,
several rushing on deck with life preservers. Quite a
number of us waited until the mob finished their
stampede up the companion way before we went on deck.
The steamer had run her nose about 15 feet ashore.
The tide was going out and the wind blowing a gale on
her starboard side, it was feared that she would keel
over on her side on the rocks. The Captain ordered a
boat lowered and an anchor taken some yards away and
dropped so as to keep the steamer headed right. The
second mate with a crew made several attempts to get
beyond the stern of the steamer, but after a half
hours hard work he gave it up saying. I
cant make it, Im going aboard, Im
no hero. The Captain said, all
right, and sent his First Mate to take his
place. Just as soon as Johnson, the First Mate,
stepped into the boat the sailors rallied and with
his cool judgment and words of cheer they pulled the
oars as best they knew and slowly the boat and anchor
moved out to the raging storm. When they had rowed
about a hundred yards they successfully dropped
anchor, and there arose a mighty cheer from the men
aboard. About two hours after we run on to the rocks
they succeeded in getting the steamer off the rocks
and running her a half mile further and into the
channel for the night. There was practically no
damage done so next morning at 8:00 a.m., we
continued our voyage.

The scenery is grand. Our route lies among the high
mountains, densely covered with spruce and snow. It
is very much like a trip on the Mississippi with many
places not much wider than our turkey river. We see
many little Indian villages and hundreds of ducks.
There are 226 passengers aboard, of all
nationalities, two ladies. Ten states were
represented in our party of fourteen that went ashore
at Metlakatla, B. C. Write me care of Shadles
Camp, Valdes Pass, Alaska, via Orca, to be kept until
called or sent for. With kindest regards to all, I
am, Sincerely your friend, Louis J. Kramer

P.S. We stop tonight at Ft. Wrangle for water and
then go out into open sea.

~*~*~

Our Gold Seekers
Mar. 17, 1898, Elkader Register

Aboard the Alliance, Feb. 28, 1898
Dear Father:
I wrote a letter for the papers to Will Reinecke
which no doubt he showed to you and which will give
you an account of our trip up to Fort Wrangel. We
went ashore in row boats at Fort Wrangel and spent
two or three hours visiting the town. The steam
Cleveland was at the wharf, going south,
which took my last letter to the states. The ship
expected to get water and provisions there, but water
couldnt be bought at any price, so we came up
to Juneau. We struck Juneau at 4:30 this morning and
we immediately went ashore. It is situated on the
beach and right at the foot of towering mountains,
lots of snow, but fine weather. It was 12 degrees
above. Juneau has electric lights. The gambling dens
were open and quite well filled, even at that hour.
One can buy most anything in Juneau and get good
meals for 25 and 35 cents. First thing we did was to
get a good breakfast. I had two eggs, a fine porter
house steak, potatoes and coffee for 35 cents. I
believe we would buy at every town we stopped at. I
had to buy some lumbermans overs, same as we
use on felt boots, for $1.50 and a pair of buckskin
drawers for $6.00.

Not far from Juneau is Douglas Island, also electric
lighted, and where the famous Treadwell mills are.
Everything from Frisco up is two bits, four bits,
etc. We see lots of snow now and it is getting
colder. We are cutting across the Deep Sea now and
our next stop, where I mail this, will be Orca.

We are decided to go into Copper River district
through the Valdes Pass, which is claimed to be a
terrible ordeal. They land us high and dry on the
beach in the snow without any living persons about
except the prospectors, who came up on the trip
before us and are waiting; some have been here since
August, they tell us.

With love to all, I am your obedient son, Louis J.
Kramer

Port Valdes, Alaska, Feb. 26, 1898
Dear Friend Will
We are here at our destination now with no signs of
civilization except a log hut and a pile of lumber.
The snow covered mountains are all around us with a
growth of trees and underbrush at their base. The day
is beautiful with a clear sky and warm sun. The
steamer can not anchor within a hundred yards of the
shore, so we land in row boats and our provisions
will be rafted over. Speaking about our trip we
arrived at Juneau Feb. 23rd. The day before was
Washingtons birthday and we had the Stars and
Stripes conspicuously displayed. Juneau is quite a
modern city, with water works and electric lights.
The merchants have a great variety of goods on hand
and one can buy almost as cheap as in Seattle. Not
far from Juneau is Douglas Island, also lighted by
electricity, where the famous Treadwell mines are
situated. The weather was fine. 12 degrees above zero
was the temperature.

We left Juneau at 11:30 a.m., and sailed out into the
open seas and warm wind, with temperature about 40
degrees above. During the night we experienced rough
weather and we rocked and rolled all night. The
baggage and other articles tumbled around making a
great racket. Several were thrown completely out of
their beds. The sunrise on the 25th was superb. I can
not begin to describe its beauty. We arrived at Orca
at 1 p.m. yesterday, it has a cannery, post office
and store and six other buildings. We met parties at
Orca who have been trying to go up the Copper River
from their (sic) since October and could get no
further than 50 miles up. They expect to go back to
Juneau and try another route. Here we learned that
the parties at Valdes have succeeded in overcoming
the great barriercrossing the glacier.

Valdes Pass is 5 miles from here and we will then see
for ourselves whether what we hear is true or not.

We arrived Saturday, Feb 26th and worked afternoon
and all night to get freight off the ice to camp a
mile away. The weather was been delightful with clear
sky and warm sun, too warm in the afternoon. The snow
here is from 4 to 8 feet deep but hard on top. The
glacier at the pass is a huge body of ice about 10
miles from bottom to the summit. The ascent is an 8
miles slope at about 45 degrees. From the summit one
can see a lake which lies almost at the foot of the
mountains and is 20 or 25 miles long bordered with
timber.

We started to sled our freight on Monday from camp to
the foot of the glacier which is about 5 miles. We
now have it all there except our baggage, tents and
commissary out fit. A sled load is from 150 to 250
pounds and takes a man 2 1/2 to 3 hours to haul. It
was 48 degree above Tuesday and very hot to work. The
freight is hoisted to the first bench of the glacier
by a pulley. The rest may have to be packed but maybe
we can use other means. The descent will be very
easy, we expect to make a big stone boatpack
our freight on it and let it go down.

A letter carrier here is getting up a list of
customers to whom he will carry mail for $1 a man. In
our outfit we are short candles and pipe for two
stoves. We dont know what we will do about it
as we cant buy from anyone. One man has extra
box of candles but no saltbut we cant
spare any salt.

Fishing here at the Bay is good, we have had three or
four meals of fish already. Salmon, cod and Halibut
or Flounders are caught, some weigh 15 and 20 pounds,
the average catch is about six pounds. Dogs do not
seem to work well, some are all right but the
majority are not. A code of laws are written out and
posted up. There is a judge, sheriff and clerk,
parties guilty of small thefts will be tried by 12
men and furnished with lashes, thefts amounting to
$100 or more are considered same a murder and guilty
ones punished accordingly.

The prospect looks good, we are all confident we can
strike something good after we cross the lake. Two
men came out last September we are told, with 465,000
and $85,000 but were non-committal. Of all the
disagreeable news we heard in Frisco and other
places, not one corresponds with the actual reality
of the facts as we find them.

We all have good health and good appetites. The
Rival came in last night with 160
passengers. Today it is snowing, but no wind at all.
They say the wind blows terrible at times but we were
very fortunate so far in not having any.
With regards to all, I am yours with success.
Louis J. Kramer.

From AlaskaValdes, Mar
14, 1898

Dear Father:
I have been expecting some mail from home but till
now received nothing.

We still have our camp at the foot of the glacier and
are slowly working our goods up to the top. The first
two miles have an elevation of 1350 feet, so you can
see what we have to pull up. To the third bench we
put 200 pounds to the sled and pull it up, but from
the third to the fourth is one fourth mile and very
steep and winding. The trail is packed hard and steps
had to be cut into it. It was all two men could do to
pull 150 pounds on a sled. We ought to have a sled
apiece but we only have four. Three sleds were used
on this run while Smith and I packed on our backs. It
took us one and a half days to make he quarter mile.
From the top of the fourth bench is a gradual
incline, probably 250 feet to the mile for about six
miles. Yesterday morning we tried 150 pounds and two
men to a sled. Left our goods at the fourth bench at
nine a.m., and traveled till noon. It was very windy
and the trail was drifted and snow to the knees, so
we went no farther. I guess we went four or five
miles. It took us two and one half hours to walk back
to campall down hill.

There must be over 1000 men here now; some one
counted 1036. Several have sold their outfits and
gone back. Burros would be worth their weight in gold
here, but lots of dogs but many that are no good. The
weather has been quite pleasant here but it snows
very easy, one night sixteen inches, another twelve,
which blocks up the trail.

On nice days the trail from the foot of the glacier
is black with men. There must have been about 600 on
it. That is about four miles. I guess, and one can
get two cents a pound to haul goods to the foot of
the glacier. We seldom go down to the bay where the
new arrivals are, but we heard some men are going to
put up a tramway. Their engineers made two
measurements and said it was 1720 feet above sea
level at the top of the fourth bench where our goods
are cached.

When we arrived we found that we had no candles and
no stove pipe. We bought candles at the store and
bought a three gallon oil can from the ship Valencia
and made some pipe. Flour sells for $3 a sack, bacon
25¢ a pound from the boat. The wind is blowing
considerable today and we are not doing anything.
Quite a number of Tompkins are shot around the
glacier. They are like a partridge only all white.

After we got over the glacier the mail carrier will
bring letters but no papers. Hoping this will find
you all in good health, with love to all I remain.

Your obedient son, Louis J. Kramer.

~*~*~

Apr. 7, 1898 Elkader Register

Valdes, Alaska, March 22nd, 1898
Dear Friend Will:
We are still camped here at the foot of the Glacier,
having moved our camp here on the 6th last. There is
quite a town here now, I counted 98 tents situated on
each side of a narrows street. There tented towns of
course increase and decrease as the men move their
goods along. There are some forty tents on the third
bench, about twenty-five on top of the fourth bench
or top of the glacier, and then one will see tents
every mile or so.

It is quite amusing to take a stroll up our street
and read the signs stuck up in the snow. One
readsWanted, four and bacon; will
exchange whip-saw and revolver.
AnotherOne sweater for sale, and so
on. There are several musical instruments in camp,
also a photographer who is on his way over the ice.
He takes fairly good photos at 50 cents each.

The Connecticut & Alaska Mining and Trading Co.,
a party of thirty five men, are putting up a store
down on the bay, five miles from us, selling flour
$6.00 per cwt., dried fruit 17¢ a pound, salt 5¢ a
pound, etc., They brought a large snow sled or rather
ice sled, operated by a 12 horse power engine, but it
has proved a complete failure. For moving goods over
the trail, other than man himself, a burrow has been
found the best here. The dogs are good but there are
a great many of no account. It takes a man to keep
them in order and they haul but little more than the
man alone could pull.

The weather here has been mildnever below zero.
We have had about forty inches of snow since we have
been here. It snowed all day yesterday and all last
night. That closed the trail and the wind on top of
the glacier is so that we can do nothing today. It is
quite a task to move ones goods over the trail
and up the glacier. It has an elevation of about 1350
feet, in the two miles to the top. Then we move over
a gradual incline of abut 250 feet to the mile for
about seven miles. At the end of this run we find
another icy incline similar to the first two miles.
Many have sold their outfits and turned back.

The Valencia arrived here on the 16th with 600
passengers and their cargo of 18 horses, 20 oxen, and
15 burros had to be killed and thrown over board. A
snow slide the other day covered up two tents, the
occupants escaped with the exception of two who were
taken out unconscious but recovered soon after.

The Keystone company, who came up on the same boat
with us, have started a sore down near the bay and
have staked off 160 acres, offering lots at $100, and
$150 for corner lots. We havent any idea how
long it will take us to get over the glacier, so far
we have moved our goods but eight miles since we
arrived. If we have good weather we probably can do
it by the 15th of next month. As yet I have received
no letters or mail but am expecting some to arrive on
the next boat. Hoping same will bring good news from
home. I remain, Your friend, Louis J. Kramer, Valdes,
Alaska. Care Shadless Camp.

P.S.It would pay a man well to come up here
overstocked as he always can get a good price for
everything. If I wasnt going through Id
start a store and restaurant down near the landing.
Believe a fellow could do a good thing. Such stuff as
candles, flour, bacon, beans, salt, sugar, etc., will
sell any time, regardless of how many stores there
were here. Creepers are an essential thing and most
of them are no good. They want to be of the best
steel and not pressed or iron. The C. & Ala. M.
Co., are making some iron ones here and selling same
at $2.50, actual value in states about 40 and 50
cents. Its devilish tough, hot and sweaty work
pulling these 2 x 7 sleds over the snow with a rope
over your shoulder. I packed a day and a half on my
back50 pound sackup a steep 1/4
milepretty slippery. I tell you it makes the
sweat roll. We are all feeling fine. Im about
as brown as a half breed now. Pat is a corker to eat,
and I tell you we are all a windy setbeans, you
know.

Better now send any papers as I may not get them, but
clip out all interesting local news and put in
letter. Remember anything will be news, so clip most
any thing. Havent received a letter since I
have been herenearly a month.

Valdes, April 18th 1898 Dear Father
and Mother:
I write to let you know that I am getting along all
right up here. We have gone about 40 miles since we
landed, but it has been all up grade. We are now over
the glacier, and by the time this reaches you we will
be about 100 miles further on, or as far as we want
to get before the snow goes off, which is about 10
feet deep and may yet last some time.

We had a hard time of it on the glacier. We were
camped two weeks on 500 feet of solid ice. The last
bench of the glacier that we had to clime was a mile
almost straight up and down. Wages here are very
high, packers getting as high as $20 a day. Some have
horses and make lots of money. If I had old Fan here
I could make $1,000 in less than a month pulling
freight, as the snow will soon begin to get soft and
people are anxious to get over the glacier. Wood
sells at the rate of $90 per cord on top of the
glacier as it has to be drawn on sleds uphill for 20
miles. Flour is worth $16 per hundred, rice and sugar
25 cents per poundyou see everything is
valuable.

I am getting as fat as a hog and feel good, but we
all look horrid with our beards on and tanned as
black as Negroes. Louis Kramer is as black as an
African. When we came here there were only about 50
people, now there is over 2,000 and still more coming
as almost every day a boat lands. It is great to be
in a camp as large as ours. We are located in a
lovely spot of timber near running water, as the foot
of a mountain 4,000 feet high. We have plenty of
spruce gum to chew, and dry pine wood to burn. It
makes a hot old fire. Sam Boots was bothered with his
rupture so that he sold his share. If he comes home
you must not think there is no gold in Alaska. There
is plenty of it when we get to it.

Perhaps this may be the last you will hear from me
for some time, for we have to pay $1.00 for every
letter we send out, but we get them brought in free.
You can write long letters, but dont be alarmed
if you do not hear from me for a while for I am as
safe up here as I would be at home. There was one
young man shot by accident here three weeks ago. He
was taking a rifle out of a bag when it went off, the
charge striking him in the hip and stomach. He died
and was buried the next day, and one man died of
inflammation of the bowels.

I must close now and go into the next tent for
supper. Capt. Shadle does the cooking and we have
fine grub too. If I dont find anything I
wont come home, shall work for a while. But I
believe we shall find all we want of it.
Signed Ira Patterson.

~*~*~

OUR GOLD HUNTERS
June 30, 1898 Elkader Register

Letters from Elkader Boys in Frozen
Territory, Klatina River, Alaska, May 12th, 1898
Dear folks at home:
I will write a few lines to you today to let you know
I am all right yet. We have had a hard time of it for
the past week or more. The snow is going and we have
been going through lakes and swamps where the water
was from six to eighteen inches deep and drag a sled
with 400 pounds on it, and we hurried to get to this
river before the snow disappeared. Many a night I
have gone to bed at 11 and got up at 12:30 and
started across a seven miles lake and some times the
water would be frozen at that time. It is only dark
from ten till two.

We wont sled any more now as we are going to
build a boat here and float down to the Copper river,
and then up it. I bet I have not lost a pound in
weight yet and I do not think I will loose any flesh
now. There are lots of berries here that grow on the
ground. They are just excellent for sauce now after
having been covered with snow all winter. There are
hundreds of acres of swamp covered with those
berries. There is any number of wild geese and ducks
here on the creeks and rivers.

Two men went by our ten a few minutes ago with about
seventy live mountain trout on a pole. How is that
for fishing? I like to hunt better than to fish. I
took the rifle last night and went down a small
creek. I laid in the grass along the water edge and
shot sever ducks as they swam by. The creek was about
ten feet deep in the center and forty feet wide. I
got all the ducks I wanted then got up and moseyed
down the stream.

The sun had just gone down and it was fifteen minutes
of ten. I saw a large black thing about 200 yards
ahead of me and it stood as high as a man and did not
moved so I cocked my old 45 70 and shot toward it,
for I knew it would kill anything. I got within 200
feet of it and shot. I hit it but it was so close to
the water that it floundered into the creek before I
could get to it so I did not get him. I found out
that it was a beaver and they always sink in water. I
went a little farther and saw their house in the
middle of the water and their dam below. I shot two
more the same night. They never saw anyone before and
that is why they were not afraid. One of the men was
out hunting grouse last Tuesday and came fact to face
with a big black bear. He shot him and we had a mess
of bear. It was good too.

I will have to close now for the man that is going to
the coast is ready. I would like to step into the old
home for a few days, but I have never wished for a
minute that I had not come. I enjoy this kind of a
life for a change and when I get back Ill be a
great deal wiser than when I left. Write when you can
and write long letters.

From your son, Ira S. Patterson.

P. S. I am not in Shadles party any more.
Boals, Jacobs and I are going by ourselves now.

~*~*~

LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN -- Interesting Letter from
Shadles Camp by L. J. Kramer.
June 23, 1898 Elkader Register

Alaska, May 13th, 1898
Dear Father and Mother:
I don know whether you will receive this or not but
will write anyway. A man going back to the bay will
take it. He goes back for more footwear, but may buy
it from some one before he gets to the bay; in that
case he will go no further and this will probably be
lost.

We are now camped on the Klatina river, or third
river on the west side of the Copper. We are about 35
miles from the Copper river. Down at the lakes where
I last wrote you, there were two trails, one leading
along a river from the lake north east; the other
leading across two lakes north and slightly
northwest. We took the north trail and are now at the
river where everyone is busy building boats. The
trail down the river from the lake brought the
parties who took it 10 miles below the mouth of the
river we are on and on the Copper. Hence we have done
a great deal of unnecessary hauling.

Our party is breaking up today. I was appointed
receiver. Patterson, Boals and Jacobs are the three
who left Shadles Camp. What they will do I
dont know, they talk some of striking for the
Tanana.

A man returned today from the Copper river who went
down 18 days ago. He says Mt. Wrangel is directly
east of the mouth of this river, also that the Copper
river valley is very wide and more like a hunting
ground than anything else. The high bluffs on this
side (west) are all burnt out and seem to have very
poor prospects of containing any mineral. The bluffs
on the river here are almost like alkali or ash. The
outlook so far is not very encouraging.

The weather has been fine the last month, average
about 65 in the shade. The last three miles we almost
had to pull our sleds over bare ground and it was
very hard work. I was 4 hours in pulling a small load
two miles. Quite a number of fish have been caught in
a small stream near here. We shot four ducks. One
bear was shot early this week but since then no signs
of other game. I expect we will be camped here for
three or four weeks.

The boys were considerably interested in the letter
from Elliott that Mr. Corlett sent Boots. Sam
forwarded it to me before he left. I hardly think I
will get any more mail because the parties are all
divided up, some took the lake trail, then about 10
miles north of the lake, some went east and we went
north. There must be about 150 men in this camp and
some are already down on the Copper.

The river here is not very wide, probably 100 feet or
so and there are many large rocks in it. We no doubt
must tow our boat down it. According to the outlook
from the provision stand point I expect we will have
to get out of the country in the fall as it will not
last over winter. Then we would have to go out any
way for if we did stay we could do nothing but sit
around and eat during the winter.

It is daylight now from 1:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Most
of our trail work in the last two weeks had been done
from 12:30 a.m. to noon, as then the snow is slightly
frozen and sometimes we can travel a little on the
crust, but at noon it is very warm and the trail is
almost bare. We crossed the two lakes, each five
miles long with 4 to 8 inches of water on the ice.
Our hip boots came into good use.

The mosquitoes are beginning to buzz and they are big
ones too. No Indians are seen although we see old
teepees, bear traps, etc.

Well, I hope you are all in good health. As for
myself I am feeling fine. The reports of the Copper
river and surrounding country given us by the men
today are very discouraging but we hope for the best.
With love to you all, I am your devoted son, Louis J.
Kramer.

P.S. I took a fine head to foot warm bath yesterday,
shaved and put on clean clothesmakes me feel
fine. Have quite a mustache nowdont think
much of my beard so I scraped it off. The rest of the
boys have their full bears yet. L.J.K.

On the Tazlina River, Alaska (35
miles from the Copper River)
Thursday, June 2, 1898

Dear Father:
I wrote you two letters in the last week or so but as
they may not have reached you, Ill write you
another. We arrived on this river on the 13th of May
with barely snow enough to reach it on sleds, but we
finally got here, going the last three miles on
almost bare ground. The day we arrived at the camp
Boals, Jacobs and Patterson bolted from the party,
had their goods set out and were going it alone
hereafter. That left Shadle, Smith, Millard, Dyer and
myself. Everybody was busy whipping out lumber and
building boats. We just got started to cut lumber
when Millard and Dyer decided to give it upsell
out and go home. They sold their goods at auction and
got big prices. Flour sold for $24 per cwt., bacon
$33, oat meal $24, sugar $45, etc. It was quite a
sale and nearly a hundred men were present. Not long
after another man sold out and by each I sent you a
letter.

We went to work on our boat. In the division
Boals party got the whip saw, and he personally
owned some carpenter tools, so we were considerably
crippled in the boat building business, nevertheless
with a borrowed saw, hatchet and plane we put up a 20
foot scow, 5 feet wide, on which we were to sail down
the Tazlina to the Copper. On the 21st of May the
first (7) boats were down the riverstarted I
should rather sayfor the first one had not
floated over 300 yards before she was hung up on a
boulder for a half hour, lost stove and a few other
things overboard and tore a hole in her side. She
landed above the first rapids and the owner had to
saw more lumber and repair her. She is still on the
dry dock. The others got through the first rapids all
right but are now strung along the river some 15
miles down, others not so far, with more or less of
their freight.

This river is about 300 feet wideswift and full
of rapids, rocks and huge boulders. On the 29th, we
loaded our boat, landed above the first rapids and
packed our goods around the rapids, then lined the
boat through, loaded up and tried it again. At the
quarter mile we were nearly smashed head first into a
huge boulder. We jolted the boat up against it so
hard that we expected to be swamped the next moment
but nowe went on a little fartherabut a
half mile from camp and then hung up on two rocks. We
worked and pried around to get her loose for over two
hours. The water ice cold, swift and about three foot
deep. We finally decided to pack our goods
ashoreabout a hundred ft.

We landed two parcels when live men happened along,
lent us a hand and pulled boat and all ashore. We
then camped here about a half mile below the city and
boat yards and put the Gold Hunter on dry
dock. She leaded a little, that was all, but our
goods did not get wet. We thought best to wait for
higher water. While we were doing this Dad went
prospecting and found a few colors, but nothing very
encouraging although he thought that we might stake
out three claims in the
canyonShadles canyon. We did
so and the next day there were over fifty men in the
canyon with pick, shovel and gold pan. Yesterday we
changed the course of the creek making a ground
sluice. We tried the former bed of the creek but no
prospects in the first couple feet. Dad hardly thinks
it will amount to much. Still we will try it tomorrow
after we shot of the water. We want to work at it
today but there was so much of interest on the river
that we hadnt the time.

Eight boats started down the river to day, they all
shot the first rapids all right. The first two shot
the second rapids nicely and kept going. The third
hung up broadside in the second rapids and struck a
big rock, up ended, partly keeled over then settled
right side up solid among the rocks, full of water
and running over, and but ten feet from number three.
For three hours we worked with five other men and
finally got number three started all right down the
river and the goods all ashore from the 4th. The
goods were all wet and the boat had to be abandoned.

In the afternoon the Chicago came down
shot through the second rapids only to hang broadside
on a rock, filling her with water. Her partner the
Henson did the same above the rapids.
Both had small lighters by which they succeeded in
beaching their goods, they lost none, but no doubt
much is damaged by the water. The next one that came
was Boals boat. They landed her above the
second rapids and overlooked the course, finally
thinking it best to line it down. With five men on
the line and two in the boat they started her through
the rapids. At abut half way she got turned side
ways, struck on some rocks and tilted up stream
filling with water in a second. With hasty work they
succeeded in throwing their drenched goods ashore.
The last boat landed above the rapids and staid there
so far all right. It was a bad day for the goods and
only goes to show how difficult it will be to reach
the Copper river safe and sound with all our goods.
The main party up at the camp are undecided what to
do. Some have gone up the Tazlina prospecting and
investigating and some went down afoot to the Copper.
Two returned tonight from Copper River reporting
river very swift, some boulders and about twice as
wide as this one. Clay banks 200 and 300 feet high on
each side similar to these. They visited two camps on
the Copper, one was from here having succeeded in
reaching there by boat but losing about half their
goods. The others sledded down having arrived here in
time to travel on the ice.

It is pretty warm here now and the mosquitoes are
becoming quite troublesome. It is true they are large
ones and many of them. I gathered a quart of marsh
cranberries about a week ago. For the last few days
we have had all the green onions we wanted. They grow
on the beach and are nice and tender. Decoration Day
I had quite a beautiful bouquet of violet and white
flowers. Game is not very plenty. Many moose and a
bear were killed and there are many hunters out every
day. The moose meat sold quick at two bits a pound.

(Two hours later.) The mail carrier just arrived
bringing me six letters, and I am more than tickled
tonight to get mail from home and the flags. Give my
hearty good wishes and thanks to Mr. Wolf for the
flag. I shall certainly remember him every time I see
it. Katie sent me a beauty. War news was received
here with considerable enthusiasm. Give my love to
all the boys and tell them I was most delighted to
see the photographs they made and sent. Good health
and luck to them all. I am feeling excellent and
couldnt feel finer. We have a fine camping
place with pine boughs for feathers and a blanket and
sleeping bag makes it excellent at night. It is too
warm now for both and I use but the bag now.

Your letters tell about East Sunday and what you had
for dinner. Now Ill tell you what we did on
that day. We were camped on the glacier at the foot
of the summit, the snow fell the day before so that
there was no trail up the summit. East Sunday we
expected to move camp over the summit, no trail in
a.m., made two trips in p.m., slept on snow covered
with one tent, then rubber blankets, on which other
blankets were put. This was the worst night we put
in, other times we always had boughs to sleep on. But
it wasnt as bad as it might seem. Some of the
boys got a little cold but I didnt. I had the
bag you know and its a dandy. After supper I
smoked a cigar brought a few along smoke
them on special occasions, holidays, etc.

I am glad the town is coming still more to the front,
no doubt it will have started the electric light
plant ere I get back.

Tell Johnny his dream wont come out well. My
beard I cut off but had a dandy mustache. The other
part of his dreamcoming home with Samfor
you already know he left us two months ago. As to
lice, I havent them yet nor any gold. I see
better chances of getting the former than the latter.
I still have about two pounds of dried beef and two
cans ham that you sent along. Keep that for
hard times.

There is one think my trip will benefit others more
than myself even if I dont strike anything
because all I write you can bank on, now what you
read in the papers. For instance I enclose a notice
received by Smith about gold at thirty miles from
Valdes. It is a lie pure and simple. With regards to
all I am Your obedient son, Louis J. Kramer.

~*~*~

Letter from M.C. Smith to his wife
July 7, 1898 Elkader Register

Alaska, June 3, 1898
Dear Wife:
I will try and write a few lines to you as the mail
man is here after our mail, and I will take this
chance to let you know where I am. We are camped on
the banks of the Tanalina river, about 35 miles from
the Copper river. We built a boat to go down to the
Copper river and started down with our goods, went
through the rapids all right but struck a rock below
them and got hung up and had to take a line to shore.
I was in the water about three hours. It was cold;
the ice was running in the river but we saved our
goods. There has been about 15 boats started and not
one has got through some lost all they had and some
got their goods all wet. We dont know when we
will try it again.

Men that went down to see how bad it was say a boat
cant go down, so we went looking for gold and
we found enough so we located three claims but we
dont know yet if they will pay to work. Will
try them for two weeks and if they dont pay
will try some other place. We are in a high place
now, we cant go back or ahead, unless we go
down the river and if we do we are sure to get
wrecked and lose our goods, and we are in a place we
cant brag of, but I am happy as a bed but. I
have never felt better in my life than I do now, but
if I could make enough here to make a fortune I might
feel a little better. I think the chances rather
slim, but we cant tell, for here we are poor
today and rich tomorrow. If this claim dont pay
I am going to take my pack on my back and go to the
mountains, twenty five miles from here, if we
dont start down this river again.

Fred Millard and Jack Dyer quit and went home. The
mail only gets to us once every two or three months.
It cost me 50 cents for ever letter I send and $1 for
every letter I get. I have only heard from you once.
. . . This country is covered with moss. It looks
nice and it is like walking on a carpet, you will
sink to your shoe tops and it is all kinds of colors.
There is hundreds of acres covered with cranberries,
which we have for sauce and we have all the wild
onions we want. The trees have commenced to bud and
they will soon be leafed out. There are some early
flowers out but it is chilly today. The ground never
thaws out here. you can pull up the most and see the
blue ice; the mountains are all covered with ice and
snow.

Must stop writing, the mail man has just brought me
three letters. Guess I will have time to read them. I
have not time to open all the letters as the mail man
cant wait. I have all the back letters. Hope
you are getting along all right. Give my regards to
all my friends and neighbors. Will write again when
time permits. M. C. Smith.

Letter from Ira Patterson to
his sister

Tanalina River, June 3, 1898

Dear Sister:
I have a chance to send out a letter today and will
write a few lines. We are camped on the river and
have our boats built ready to go down this river to
the Copper river. We are a great deal farther in the
interior than we though we were. The Indians say we
are not far from Dawson but we dont know how
true it is. Indians are a common thing now but they
are peaceable and nice.

The snow has been gone for some time, and we have
fine weather here now. There are lots of wild flowers
in bloom. We sleep outside of the tent lots of the
time now. We go out prospecting and stay five or six
days, and just build a fire to keep the mosquitoes
away, and lie down on our blankets.

We have about twenty hours of sunshine and it is
light all night. Never gets dark at all this time of
the year. I went down the river duck hunting about
two oclock in the morning just as the sun was
coming up. I heard the brush crack up on the side
hill and looking up I saw a great big black bear
coming down a path toward the water. I crept behind a
big rock and waited until he came down and was
drinking and then I tapped my rifle on the rock and
he lifted his head and looked the opposite way, and I
fired and struck him in the back of the head,
shattering his whole head. I was over a mile from
camp and so I skinned him and I could scarcely carry
his hide home. We all went back and got the meat and
sold what we did not want for 20 cents per pound. The
hide is large enough to cover half the tent and makes
a nice bed to sleep on. I am going to try and bring
it home with me when I come, it is such a nice fur.*
The bears up here are afraid of a person and run if
they see you. There is plenty of moose meat here. I
got a number of letters today, sixteen in all, but
none from you folks. Why dont you write? I
would like to hear from you every two weeks and I
have only received one letter from you since I left
homeover four months ago. I wish you would clip
slips from the papers and send to me. Dont send
whole papers as they will not deliver papers.

We find a little gold every once in a while that
would pay about $3 to $4 a day but could not be
worked very easy as it is so far from water. We hope
soon to be in the gold region.

We have plenty of wild onions they grow like grass. I
am sitting on a rock 400 feet above the river, just
above a foaming rapid and it is ten minutes past ten
and the sun has just gone down. We have to carry
there letters a mile yet to the. . . . Ira Patterson.

*Transcribers note: Someone wrote
Damn Lie! beside this story in the Elkader
Register on file at the Elkader Library.

~*~*~

July 14, 1898 Elkader Register

An Alaska letter received from Louis
Kramer dated June 9th states that their claim did not
pan out as expected. They were thinking of buying a
boat and making an attempt to get to the Copper
River. He sends home an interesting picture of the
boys at an outfit sale.

~*~*~

July 28, 1898 Elkader Register

R. E. Price received a letter Tues.
from Captain Shadle in which he states that he and
Smith are now alone of the party that went to Alaska.
Louis Kramer has sold out his outfit and was to take
his letter to the coast. Smith and Shale purpose to
try it a little longer. A. Kramer also received a
letter from Louis mailed from Seattle, stating that
he had arrived there and thought of going to San
Francisco and then to Honolulu, if not needed at
home.

~*~*~

August 4, 1898 Elkader Register

Ira Patterson, one of the Elkader
boys who went to Alaska with Capt. Shadle arrived
home Tues. evening. He came over the glacier with
Louis Kramer, who is now homeward bound from San
Francisco. Ira looks hale and hearty. He doubts
whether Shadle and Smith will attempt the pass later
this fall and says they have built their provisions
to last all winter.

~*~*~

August 18, 1898 Elkader Register

Capt. Shadle was in town Sat. shaking
hands with his old friends who were glad to welcome
him back from the dangers of Alaska, and to see that
he was looking well. The many friends of Louis J.
Kramer will be pleased to know that he has taken into
partnership by a gentlemen owning an established meat
market and delicatessen shop in San Francisco and
apparently has bright prospects for business success.

~*~*~

May 11, 1899 Elkader Register

Louis Kramer, one of our Klondike
travelers who has been in California for the past
year, returned home last evening. He was joyously
welcomed by his parents and friends.

~*~*~

~transcribers
note: several of these letters written by my
husband's great uncle Louis Kramer and others
from the Elkader area who set off to seek their
fortunes in Alaska just before the turn of the
century (1900). I thought they might be of
interest to others. I was reminded of Michener's
book when I compiled these letters from old Elkader
Registers -- Judy M.